ProMat closes: Make your plans for Modex 2018

With a record number of exhibitors and attendees seen at ProMat 2017, MHI anticipates more of the same at Modex 2018—the industry’s premier supply chain event. Modex will once again be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, April 9-12, 2018.

“Our exhibitor space draw, held back in December of last year, drew 420 exhibitors who reserved a first-day record of more than 200,000 net square feet of show floor space,” said George Prest, CEO of MHI. “Clearly, the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry is healthy and growing. We’ve certainly seen that here at ProMat with exhibitors reporting the generation of numerous active leads and interest in the solutions our industry has to offer.”

In support of that assertion, Prest noted that page 53 of the 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report, “Next-Generation Supply Chains: Digital, On-Demand and Always-On,” (released during Wednesday morning’s keynote) detailed specific buying plans of the 1,100-plus survey’s respondents.

Representing a range of industries within the manufacturing and supply chain industry leaders, 53% hold executive positions such as CEO, VP, general or department head Participating companies ranged in size from small to large, with 47% reporting annual sales in excess of $100 million, and 10% reporting $10 billion or more.

The top five materials handling equipment types survey participants plan to purchase within the next three years include:

• Forklifts and other wheeled, mobile equipment (43%)
• Racks, shelving and storage equipment (42%)
• Software for warehousing, distribution and logistics (41%)
• Packaging, labeling, shipping, weighing and cubing equipment (40%)
• Automatic identification and data collection technologies (36%)

All of those technologies and many more will be represented within exhibits at Modex 2018, Prest added, as well as manufacturers, consultants, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, publishers and systems integrators will be there to demonstrate their equipment, systems, software and services to manufacturing and supply chain professionals from around the world.

Although still smaller than ProMat, Modex nonetheless attracts more than 27,000 visitors from more than 110 countries, and will also offer a comprehensive Supply Chain Conference featuring keynotes, show floor seminars and other events. Additionally, MHI is partnering with Messe München and ITE Group to co-locate Transportation & Logistics Americas (TLA) event with Modex in 2018. “TLA showcases innovative products and services dedicated to transportation and logistics across 40,000 square feet of exhibits, as well as even more educational sessions,” he concluded.